Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

My Thoughts:

*** 3.5 stars***

Mia and her family have been in a crash, the car is a wreck. “You wouldn’t expect the radio to work afterwards. But it does.” This line made me so sad, it just highlighted how random life can be sometimes. Of all the things to keep going, not a human heart, not a lung, not a kidney, a radio.

It took me up till 10:12 am (chapter 4) to actually notice that I got into the book straight away! There was no initial lull, that I get with some books as the scene is being set. Right from the beginning I felt like I was halfway into the story! I don’t know how the author achieved that. But kudos.

Now, I got into it really well… but then it lulled and I just kept putting it down. It got a bit slow in the middle as there were too many flashbacks, which is understandable since it’s a book about a near death experience but I did struggle. There are areas of ‘If I Stay’ that are ridiculously cheesy and borderline cringe-worthy (Not for everyone but I enjoyed them).

This was another book with weird style adults… The parents seemed like teenagers themselves. Almost like a kid in a western high school who’d just been grounded, described what their perfect parent would be like. Then a fairy godmother appeared and made it happen.

This book started well in my opinion, got a bit tedious in the middle, then was OK again at the end. Although it gets an above average rating from me because of how it made me feel. It made me think about the people in my life, and all the reasons I would stay. Mia got to decide whether or not to let go, perhaps at the end, for everyone no matter the circumstances, there is a choice. I feel optimistic, maybe so many choose to let go, because there is something truly great on the other side.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether discovered online, in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). It is hosted by Should be Reading

So, come on — share your FRIDAY FINDS

Super late post… The day kinda got away from me a bit. But it’s technically still Friday right?!

Blurb:

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Wasn’t a huge fan of Catalyst, but I’m hoping this will be better! It’s prize-winning…

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether discovered online, in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). It is hosted by Should be Reading

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Blurb:

Readers have been falling in love with this extraordinary novel for its compassionate storytelling, wonderful characters and fearless honesty.

This is the story of a family as they struggle to survive in present-day Syria, seen through the eyes of a boy with a remarkable mind. Adam describes with unflinching accuracy the disintegrating world around him. Yasmine, his beautiful sister, tries to protect him, even as her own life is put in danger.

When the war between government and rebel forces tears their lives apart, Adam and Yasmine become refugees, escaping Aleppo and heading out into the ruined country towards sanctuary. Along the way, they encounter ever-present danger and temptation on this shattered road to Damascus.

I got this in the post to honestly review for Buzz Magazine. Review coming soon…

Went to see this movie on Wednesday (Orange wednesdays Yaay). It was packed, we were all in for a treat! As soon as the movie was over, I had one major thought.

I soooo wish I had read the book!

I probably will still read it. The writing was absolutely amazing. There was so much Sh*t you just didn’t see coming. If you haven’t seen the film or read the book, Leave Now.. its so much nicer to have your mind blown mid film/book.

On the surface its just an amazingly well written plot, that will grip you and leave you dumbfounded afterwards.

On a deeper level, I can’t decide whether its an extremely dangerous idea to put out there in terms of how women are viewed in society. She lied about being raped. She stole sperm?! falsely accused her husband of domestic violence, faked a pregnancy! I mean yikes. I saw the film with a male friend, and these are like the biggest crazy A** bitch fears men have. It’d be a shame if this film gave them a reference point.

On the other hand, the ridiculously smart, calculating criminal mastermind that essentially gets away with it… is a woman. The part of the super villain often goes to men. Yes, its evil. But both men and women can be evil. Whilst watching the film, I commented that ‘Amazing’ Amy Dunne would be a good scientist. Her attention to detail was simply well… amazing. So perhaps its a one up for equal rights? Equal rights, equally innocent, equally evil.

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they’re off to university and Wren’s decided she doesn’t want to be one half of a pair any more – she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It’s not so easy for Cath. She’s horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she’s experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She’s got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words …And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she’s ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she’s realizing that there’s more to learn about love than she ever thought possible …

My Thoughts:

***5 stars***

I loved the book!! I really really loved the book. Its an awesome coming of age book. Typical, the main character finds herself, grows into her own yadi yadi yada. I’m a sucker for that stuff sometimes. Cath is relatable! There is no major drama around her. A lot of the ‘drama’ is really just life. Stuff that sometimes happens to normal, everyday people who aren’t filthy rich.

Cath and Levi made me melt. Levi isn’t perfect!! <<<< How awesome is that? He doesn’t even sound like he looks perfect. (Receding hairline at 20 something?!), he isn’t the dark, broody tortured guy. He’s just nice. and not even in a ridiculous, knight in shiny armour way. He’s just the guy who shows up when you need him to. I actually really loved that she was smarter than him. In terms of reading and grades anyway, I loved that she was unapologetically so. And I loved that it didn’t put a strain on their relationship.

Again we have an author that sneakily brings up important societal issues. Mental illness and ADD. Cath has grown up with her dad and knows his signs. She knows how to bring him back from the edge… <<<< Family is so freaking important! Cath’s relationships with her dad and sister highlight that so much. Can she/will she ever forgive her mother?

I ADORE the fact that we are allowed into all her relationships. With family, friends, boyfriend and even crappy douchebags who try to steal her work. So many plots, and not one of them felt like it was put on a back burner.

I should mention I skipped all the Simon Snow fan fic. I own a physical copy of fangirl, so I’ll probably re-read it. I’ll read the Simon snow pages at some point. But I skipped it for now because I was too into the main story. No Distractions.

There was no major climactic ending. I felt some closure, but it felt like the story could go on. I don’t know how the Author managed it!

Also… The moment the penny dropped. ‘Cather’ ‘Wren’. Cannot believe how long it took me to put 2 and 2 together.

Overall this book just made me feel like… ‘YAY to the introverts, We’ll be OK.’ ❤

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether discovered online, in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). It is hosted by Should be Reading

So, come on — share your FRIDAY FINDS

The lying game by Sara Shepard

Goodreads Description:

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does–an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me–to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, care-free daughter when she hugs my parents goodnight? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

I randomly picked this up at the library (still sans tablet 😦 ), then got home and had a look at some reviews on Goodreads. Which I really shouldn’t have done. Recommended for 13-16 year olds? Whoops.

If I stay by Gayle Forman

Goodreads description

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.